Stitch-forming mechanism for book-sewing machines.



PATENTED' 00T. 13,1903.

H. HASTINGS. STITCH FOR'MING MECHANISM FOR BOOK SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.16, 1901. RENBWEDMAR. 17, 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

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PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

y H. I-IASTINGS. STITCH PORMING MEGHANISMTOR --BOOK SEWING MACHINES.

APPLIOATIONIILED DEG. 16. 1901'. RENEWED MAR. 17, 1903.

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vPATENTED OCT. 13. 1903.

H. HASTINGS. STITCH PGRMING MECHANISM P0R.B00K SBWING'MAGHINES.

`APPLIOATION FILED D20. 1e, 1901. BB'NBWED MAB.. 17, 190s.

No MODEL.

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ATES

Patented October 18, 1903;.

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HERBERT IIASTINGS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SMYTI-I MACHINE COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA TERRITORY.

. STITCH-FORMING MECHANISM FOR BOOK-SEWING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,331, dated October 13, 1903. Application filed December 16, 1901. Renewed March 17, 1903. Serial No. 148.275. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT HAsTiNGs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Stitch-Forming Mechanism for BooksSewing Machines,of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to the stitch-forming devices employed in sewing together signatures in forming a book. I-Ieretofore these devices have usually consisted of curved sewing-needles and curved looper-needles acting together and moving in planes at right angles to one another; and the object of my invention is to entirely dispense with a needle form of mechanism.

In carrying out my invention I employ piercing-hooks to which are imparted vertical up-and-down movements and also longitudinal movements in the signature-holding bar, such piercinghooks penetrating the folded' part of each signature as the same is upon the signature-holding bar. In connection with these piercing-hooks and carried by the head of the machine-frame I employ a series ot pivoted curvedloopers and devices for imparting thereto both a swinging and a rising'andallingmovement. The piercinghooks, so styled, are the equivalent of a needle mechanism. I further employ tension and hold-baclrdevices in series acting in connecf tion with the piercing-hooks and the loopers, and' there are guides for the sewing-threads, which extend to the piercing-hooks and to the loopers. The details of the construction of said parts and their operations are hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation representing my improvements at the lefthand end, and Fig. 2 is an elevation repre-A 5o Fig. -0 is a vertical section on the line .fr u: of

Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line e e of Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line e" e' of Fig. 2. Fig. 9 represents by a group of detached views an elevation, plan, and edge View of the piercing-hook device audits support. Figs. 10, 11, l2, 13, and 14E represent by diagrammatic elevations the progressive steps of the sewing mechanism; and Fig. 15 represents an illustration of the stitch, which is in reality the well-known Grover da Baker stitch.

d represents the head of the machine-frame, and a a plate running longitudinally upon the face of the head secured thereto by screws l and having a recess therein running along the lower edge.

h represents the signature-holding bai,

which bar is generally the same, is given `the same movements, and performs the same functions as similar bars well known in the art.

I provide upon the face of the head-plate a guide-blocks 2, 3, and a at the respective ends of the plate a and midway. These guideblocks are securedto the plate c by suitable screws. Ialso secure to the plate a' at spacedi apart intervals thread-guides 5. Most of theseguides are double-that is, with notches for two threads, one notch being at the extreme lower end of said guide and the other about midway in the length of the same. These thread-guides are secured by brackets 6 and screws to the face of the plate d'. One of said guidesthat is, the one at the righthand end-is made with a single-thread notch. I provide a slide-bar c and a bar CZ, both of which arelongitudinally movable between the guide-blocks 2 3 4 and the face of the plate a. The slide-bar c has a longitudinal movement and a rising-and-falling movement to a slight extent, while the bar d has a longitudinal, swinging, and vertical movement. I also provide a bar c, received in and guided by the recess formed in the lower portion of the plate a' and between the plate a and the face of the head ct. This bar e also has a longitudinal and swinging movement. At the left-- hand end (see Fig. 1) I provide a link 7, pivoted at one end to the head c and at the other end to one end of the bar d, and a second link,

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8, pivoted to the head ct and to one end of the bar e. At the opposite ends of these bars I provide a pivot stud or screw 9, secured in the face of the head a and carrying the beam f and the bell-crank lever 12. A bell-crank lef ver 11 is pivoted at 10 to the bar CZ, and alink 13 extends from the lower end of the bellcrank lever 11 to one end of the beam f, the other end of the bell-crank lever 11 being connected to the slide-bar c, and a rod 14, eX-

Y tending to a source of power, is pivoted to the other end of the beam f.

The bell-crank lever 12 upon the screw or stud 9 is pivoted at one end to the free end ofthe bar d, and a rod l15, extending to a source of power, is pivoted to the other end of the bell-crak lever 12. A bell-crank lever 16 is mounted upon a pivot screw or stud 17 in the face of the head a, and one end of said bell-crank lever is pivoted to the bar e, and a rod 18, extending to a source of power, is pivoted to the other endof the bell-crank le- Ver 16, the rods 14, 15, and 18 imparting the necessary movements to the bars c, CZ, and e and the parts connected therewith and which movements are hereinafter more particularly set forth.

A series of loopersg are provided and pivoted to the bar d. Each looper has a curvedunder grooved portion with an eye in the point and an adjacent heel portion with an eye 2O for the thread from the upper part of the thread-guides 5. Upward prolongations of these loopersg in the form ot' arms are pivotally connected to the slide-barcat the pivots 19.' The bar e is provided with a series of downwardly-projecting holdback-tingers e', which in their position of rest are adjacent to and back of the normal position of the piercing-hooks.

The signature-holding bar is made with side plates h Zt', and screws 2l are employed for connecting these side plates together along their upper and lower edges, there being between said plates an opening through the signature-holding bar. t', running lengthwise between the said side plates Zt Zt', near the lower edge thereof. This bar is provided with teeth at intervals, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and it is vertically and centrally slotted at the toothed portions, as shown in Fig. 8. I provide an arm Zt (see Fig. 2) with an inverted-U-shaped rib at the free end, thesame providing a recess engaging the stud upon the free end of the rackbar t. A swinging movement is to be given to this arm lo, so as toimpart a longitudinal movement to the rack-bar t'.

Within the signature-holding bar and between the side plates I provide toothed Wheels Z. These wheels are alike. They are each formed of substantially two parallel disks or plates with peripheral teeth connected by a hub common to both parts. These toothed wheels are shown in dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 2, and in section, Figs. 5 and 8, and pivot-studs I provide a barv 22, passing through said side plates Zt Zt', form bearings upon which said toothed wheels turn.

Within the signature-holding bar and between the side plates I provide a bar fm. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by dotted lines and in section in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.) This bar is received between the disk portions of the wheels Z. It is pivoted to said wheels by the pivot-studs 23. The respective ends of this bar m are made as hooks, and the central portion has an inverted-heart-shaped open--` ing, within which opening is a hub of the central toothed wheel Z. The upper edge of the bar m is provided with raised portions with vertical openings receiving the piercinghooks n or equivalent needles and with transverse openings for studs 24., which studs are of a length agreeing with the thickness or width of the bar m, and one of the side plates of the signature-holding bar is provided with openings normally concentric with said studs, as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to provide for the insertion of a screw-driver for the purpose of turning the studs to loosen or clamp the piercing-hooks. These piercinghooks are alike. They are each made with an edge notch to receive the periphery of the studs 24, so that when said studs are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the piercinghooks are clamped firmly to the bar m. These studs are made with a Hat side, and when the flat side is in line with the edge of the piercing-hooks said hooks may be removed from the bar fm. These hooks are pointed and are made with a double pointed or ended notch near the point andl with a side recess coming in the path oi the swinging looper. This latter recess is shown at 25, and the sewing-thread for the first or left-hand piercing-hook passes through a thread-guide 26 on the bar e.

0 represents the stripping-plate. secured in a horizont-al position ata slight distance below the head at of the machineframe and by screws passing into said head, preferably through a block o', which determines the position of the said stripping-plate with reference to the head. This strippingplate is made with slots or mortises through This is IOO which the threads and the sewing devices operate, and when the signature is raised by the signature-holding arm b the folded portion comes up against the under surface of this stripping-plate 0.

The parts hereinbefore described have the following movements: The up and down movement of the rod 18 swings the bell-crank lever 16 on its pivot 17 and simultaneously moves the bar e longitudinally in its recess in the back of the plate a', the opposite end of the bar e swinging by virtue of the link 8. With the movement of this bar the holdbackfingers c',formed integral therewith, aregiven a longitudinal movement and also a risingand falling movement. The longitudinal threads in the sewing operation. The risingand-falling movements bring the said iin gers in and out between the respective signatures as they are progressively sewed, said tin gers performing the further ofiice of holding back the signatures that have already been sewed and in their rising movement providing room for the progressive movement of each signature. The vertical movement of the rod 11i swings the beam fon its pivot-stud 9, actuating the link 13 and bell-crank lever 11, imparting a longitudinal and slightly-swinging movement to the slide-bar c, which movement has no effect upon the bar d, as the same is held stationary, but with the movement of the bar c effects the swinging of the looper devices g, and in this connection it will be noticed that the arms of the looper devices from their pivotal connection with the bar d to the center of the pivot 19 agree exactly in length with the arm of the bellcrank lever 11 from its pivot- 10 to its pivotal connection with the bar ce cal movement of the rod 15 the bell-crank lever 12 is swung upon the pivot-stud 9, and this in turn actuates the bar CZ, imparting thereto a longitudinal swinging movement. In this connection it will be noticed that the length of the link 7 from center to center of its pivotal connections, the length of the link 13, and of the arm of the bell-crank lever 12 from the center of the pivot-stud 9 to the center of its pivotal connection with the bar d are all exactly alike. Therefore with the movement of the rod 'l5 and bell-crank lever 12 the bar d, the bell-crank lever 11, andthe slide-bar c are all moved together, the link 13 in this movement simply swinging on its pivotal connection with the beam f to the same extent that the bell-crank lever 12 and the link 7 swing on their pivotal connections, and in this movement the bell-crank lever 1p1 does not change its position; but the bar LZ and the slide-bar c move together without shifting their relation to one another. These movements are essential and will be appreciated in connection with the description of the sewing devices hereinafter described.

Considering the position of the signatureholding bar b and the parts carried thereby, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the outward swinging movement that may be imparted to the arm 7c longitudinally moves the rack-bar i in said signature-holding bar. This movement of the rack-bar rotates the wheels Z upon their pivot-studs 22. With their rotation the position of the central bar m is shifted, said bar, with its pivots, moving downward and its lower bent portions moving into the slots made in the rack-bar t, the pivot-studs 23 moving tirst to the lowest point and then ascending upon the other side of the said toothed wheels and raising the bar m and the parts carried therebyinto a position directly opposite to that shown in these figures and which'represents the other extreme position.

' This movement actuates the piercing-hooks With the verti-- carried by said bar fm, drawing the same down, along, andsagain up, and as they pass up they pass through the signature over the signature-holding arm. The reverse movementtakes these piercing-hooks down through the signature, along within the signatureholding arm, and again upward, piercing a signature on the signature-holding bar and returning the parts to the position shown in full and dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 2. In one of these movements, as hereinafter described, the piercing-hooks carry sewing-threads down into the signature upon the arm, along, up, and out of the signature where said threads are engaged by the looping devices, as hereinafterdescribed. Thepeculiarconstruction of the toothed wheels Z and the central bar m, as hereinbefore described, provides for this movement of said bar by said toothed wheels and the rack t'.

Vhile Fig. l5 shows diagrammatically the stitch formed by the sewing operation, Figs. 10 to 14, inclusive, show the various stages of the sewing operation. Referring to Figs. 10 to 14, threads that pass through the lowermost notches of the thread-guides 5 are engaged by the piercing-hooks and by the holdback-iingers,and the threads that-pass through the uppermost notches of the thread-guides pass through the eyes 2O in the heels of the loopers, through the grooves on their under edges, and through the eyes in the loopers at their points. Fig. 10 represents the rst stage of the sewing in which a signature has been sewed and a new signature has been brought to place and the upward movement (into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2) has caused the piercing-hooks to pass up through the fold of ,the signature upon the signatureholding arm in position to be sewed. From this position, Fig. 10, a slight movement is imparted to the bar e and its fingers e', causing the notches of said fingers to engage the adjacent threads and move the same into the notches of the piercing-hooks. The piercinghooks, with the engaged threads, now move down into the signature along to the right and again up through the signature adjacent to the loopers and alongside of the curved hook of the loopers and within the thread carried by the loopers from the previouslysewed signature and, in other words, between this thread and the loop around the looper, which also extends from the previously-sewed signature, and which position is shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 12 shows the next movement of the parts where the looper has been swung by the movement of the rod 14:, beam f, and the parts connecting the same with the bar c. In this movement the loop around thelooper is shed. A simultaneous movement by the rod 18, bell-crank lever 16, and bar e moves the tingers e to the left, taking up the loop of thread shed from the looper, drawing the same tight, and forming from the threads extending from the loopers loops of threads about the standing piercing-hooks. It will IIO also be noticed from this position that the points of the holdback-ngers e are between the signature being sewed and the signature` lpreviously sewed, and they perform the function of holding back the previously-sewed signature. In the neXt movement of the parts, as shown in Fig. 13, aslight downward movement has been imparted to the piercinghooks just suiiicient to cause the thread around the said hooks to slacken and spread the loop. The loopers are then swung to the left, the points thereof passing through these loops of thread and passing above the loop extending around the standing piercing-hooks from the previously-sewed signature. The next movement of the parts is shown in Fig. 14, in which by the operation of the rod 15 and bell-crank lever 12 the bars c and d, together with the loopers, are bodily raised and carried to the right. This movement lifts the loops of thread from the piercing-hooks onto the curved portions of the loopers, and simul- .taneous with this movement of the loopers the bar mand piercing-hooks are actuated to draw down the piercing-hooks, now relieved of thread, into the signature-holdingl arm. The upward movement of these loopers acts upon the loops of threads previously around the standing piercing-hooks and has the effect of drawing said loops taut and in so doing effecting a grip of said loops around the double threads extending through the signature. With the next movement the bars d and c are depressed and the loopers brought down into the position shown in Fig. l0 and the sewed signature pushed back beneath the stripping-plate o, and in this movement the threads forming the loops around the loopers have been drawn up so as to reduce the size of the loops, so that the parts again assume the position shown in Fig. 10 preparatory to repeating the sewing operations upon a new signature. These movements are automatically and progressively effected with the movement of the mechanism hereinbefore described, such movements forming the sewing illustrated in Fig. I5, in which the various signatures are not only sewed together, but the threads so locked that their position with reference to one another is made strong and .SeGllI'6.

I claim as my inventionl. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with the head of the machine-frame and the signatu re-holding arm, of a series of looper devices, a series of hold back-fingers and mechanism for actuating both the series of looper devices and the series of holdback-fingers, the same being connected to the said head-frame, and a series of piercing-hooks coacting with said loopers and holdback-fingers and connected to and movable with the signatureholding arm, and means for actuating the same, substantially as set forth.

2. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with the head of the machine-frame and guide-blocks thereon, of a series of looper devices, a bar to which the same are pivotally connected, and means for imparting to said bar and looper devices a longitudinal swinging up-and-down movement, and stitch-forming mechanism complemental thereto, substantially as set forth.

3. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with the head of the machine-frame and guide-blocks thereon, of a series of looper devices, a bar to which the same are pivotally connected, and a bar to which prolongations of said looper devices are pivotally connected, means for connecting the said bars and means for moving said bars simultaneously or independently, and suitable needle mechanism cooperating with the looper devices, substantially as set forth.

4L. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with the head of the machine-frame and guide-blocks thereon, of a series of looper devices, a bar to which the same are pivotally connected, and a bar to which prolongationsing integral holdback-ngers in proximity to the said looper devices, and means for imparting a longitudinal swinging movement to said bar and holdback-fingers, and suitable needle mechanism cooperating with the looper devices, substantially as set forth.

5. .In a book-sewing machine, the combination with the head of the frame and guides thereon, of a series of loopers each having curved portions and upward prolongations or arms, a bar to which said loopers are pivoted, a bar parallel with the aforesaid bar and to which the ends of the looper prolongations are pivoted, a link and bell-crank lever pivoted to the head of the frame and to the bar carrying the looper devices respectively, a rod pivoted to said bell-crank lever for operating the same, a beam pivoted to the stud carrying the bell-crank lever, and an arm pivoted to the beam for actuating the same, a bellcrank lever pivoted to the bar carrying the looper devices and also at the end of one of its arms to the upper bar to which the prolongations of said looper devices are pivoted, and a link pivoted to said beam and to the other end of the latter bell-crank lever, whereby the looper devices may be actuated simultaneously or independently and swinging and rising-and-falling movements imparted thereto, and suitable needle mechanism coperating with the looper devices, substantially as set forth.

6. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with the lhead of the machine-frame, a plate secured longitudinally thereto and recessed in the back along its lower edge, of a bar e and a series of holdback ngers e formed therewith, said bar being received'in the recess of the aforesaid plate, a link pivotally connecting said bar at one end to the head of the machine-frame, a bell-crank lever IOC I Ilc pivoted to said head and to the other end of said bar e, and a rod 18 pivoted to said bellcrank lever, whereby longitudinal swinging and rising-and-falling movements are imparted to said bar and fingers, and suitable needle mechanism coperatin g with the looper devices, substantially as set forth.

7. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with the head of the machine-frame, a longitudinal plate secured thereto and guideblocks placed vertically upon the said plate, of a series of thread-guides secured upon the face of said plate, said guides each having a thread-notch at the lower end and a second thread-notch at an intermediate position, a series of looperdevices, means for supporting and for actuating the same, said looper devices taking their threads from the intermediate notch ot' said thread-guides, and a series of piercing-hooks, and means for actuating the same, said piercing-hooks taking their threads from the lower notch ot' said threadguides, substantially as set forth.

S. In a book-sewing machine, a series of loopers each comprising a bent main portion having a pivot-aperture at one end and another pivot-aperture about midway and at the bend, a curved portion forming an integral continuation of the main portion from one end and grooved in the under surface and having an eye at the point, a heel portion at the same end of the main portion having an eye for the thread, and actuating devices to which such looper devices are pivoted, and means for imparting to said actuating devices simultaneous or independent parallel movements, substantially as specified.

9. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with the signature-holding bar, of alongitudinally-movable rack within said bar, a series of toothed wheels within and pivoted to the bar, a central longitudinally-movable bar, connections therefrom to said toothed wheels whereby said central bar is actuated by said toothed wheels and rack, and a series of piercing-hooks carried by said central bar and to which hooks a longitudinal and rising-andfalling movement is imparted, and stitchforming mechanism cooperating with said piercing hooks, substantially as set forth.

10. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with a signature-holding bar, of a series of toothed wheels each comprising two disks with peripheral teeth, and an integral connecting-hub, pivot-studs passing through the plates of the signature-holding arm and through said hubs pivotally mounting said wheels to and within said signature-holding arm, a bart' longitudinally movable within the lower portion of said signature-holding arm and provided with teeth at intervals and vertically and centrally slotted at the toothed portions, said teeth meshing with the teeth of the said lWheels, a central bar pivotally connected to and between the parts of said toothed wheels and a series of piercing-hooks carried by said centralbar, and stitch-forming mechanism cooperating with said piercinghooks, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

11. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with a signature-holding bar, of a series of toothed wheels each comprising two disks with peripheral teeth, and an integral connecting-hub, pivot-studs passing through the plates of the signature-holding arm and through said hubs pivotally mounting said wheels to and within said signature-holding arm, a bar i longitudinally movable within the lower portion of said signature-holding arm and provided with teeth at intervals and vertically and centrally slotted at the toothed portions, said teeth meshing with the teeth of the said wheels, a bar m substantially agreeing in width with the space between the parts of said toothed wheels, having curved or hook ends and an inverted-heart-shaped central opening, pivot-studs connecting said bar centrally and at the ends to aud between the parts of said toothed wheels, and a series of piercing-hooks removably connected to and projecting from the upperportion of said bar, and stitch-forming mechanism complemental thereto, substantially as set forth.

12. In a book-sewing machine, the combination with a series of thread-guides, and a stripping-plate having a series of apertures, of a series of pivot-ed looper devices, a series of holdback-fingers and a series of piercinghooks, means substantially as set forth for raising the piercing-hooks and projecting the same through the back of a folded signature drawing the piercing-hooks down and along within and again out of the folded signature, means for actuating the holdback-fingers and imparting thereto a longitudinal swinging and up-and-down motion, and tneans for imparting to the looper devices a swinging longitudinal and upward-and-downward movement whereby the holdback-iingers engage sewing-threads with the piercing-hooks, and at the same time hold back the previously-sewed signature, the piercing-hooks carry the engaged threads down into the signatures, along and again out of the signature, and whereby a loop of thread upon the looper is shed, is drawn taut and a loop formed around the standing piercing hooks, and whereby the thread carried up by the piercing-hooks is engaged by the curved portion of the loopers and removedv from the hooks, and a second loop formed around the looper devices and the'threads drawn taut and the parts returned to a normal position, substantially as set forth.

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distance within the signature-holding bar and signature and then projecting the same upward and again through the signature, and other sewing devices coacting therewith for effecting the sewing of signatures progressively, substantially as set forth.

14. In a book-sewing machine, the combinat-ion with a signature-holding arm, of a se- 'ries of piercing-hooks supported by and within the said signature-holding arm, means for actuating said piercing-hooks and causing them to rise vertically, pierce the signature upon the arm from Within, draw down within the signature the sewing -thread engaged therewith, carry the same along an appreciable distance within the signature-holding bar and signature and then projecting the same upward and again through the signature, and a looper device and aholdback-fiuger coacting with each piercing-hook, and means for actuating the same so as to interloop the needle-threads in effecting the sewing operations, substantially as set forth.

l5. In a book-sewing machine and in combination, asignature-holding bar mainly composed of two side plates, a series of piercinghooks, a device forming a support therefor within and between the plates of the signature-holding bar, and devices engaging the support of the piercing-hooks also within the bar and between said plates, and means for periodically actuating the said devices for imparting to the piercing-hooks and the support thereof rising and falling and longitudinal movements in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

16. In a book-sewing machine and in combination, a series of pivoted looper devices, a series of holdback-fingers, and a series of piercing-hooks, means for raising the piercing-hooks, projecting the same through the back of a folded signature, drawing down the piercing-hooks with the sewing-threads engaged therewith into and along within and again out of the folded signature, said hooks forming the apertures in the folded back of the signatures, means for actuating the holdback-fingers, and means for actuating looper devices in time and progression with the movements of the piercing-hooks whereby sewing-threads are passed through the signatures, engaged and loops formed with other sewing-threads, and the signatures are progressively sewed and connected together, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 11th day of December, 1901.

HERBERT I'IASTINGS.

Witnesses:

L. E. ToRRANcE, M. A. ANDREWS. 

